Starring: Brandon Lee, Rochelle Davis, Ernie Hudson, Michael Wincott, Ling Bai Directed By: Alex Proyas Average Rating: Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Binding: VHS Tape Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, NTSC Label: Walt Disney Video Number of Items: 1 Release Date: June 02, 1995 Running Time: 117 minutes Theatrical Release Date: May 11, 1994
Description: Catch the explosive, action-packed hit that thrilled moviegoers and dazzled critics everywhere! Brandon Lee (RAPID FIRE) plays Eric Draven, a young rock guitarist who, along with his fiancee, is brutally killed by a ruthless gang of criminals. Exactly one year after his death, Eric returns -- watched over by a hypnotic crow -- to seek revenge, battling the evil crime lord and his band of urban thugs, who must answer for their crimes. Loaded with intense, nonstop action and a hot #1 hit soundtrack, THE CROW delivers exhilarating, fast-paced entertainment!
Amazon.com essential video: The Crow set the standard for dark and violent comic-book movies (like Spawn or director Alex Proyas's superior follow-up, Dark City), but it will forever be remembered as the film during which star Brandon Lee (son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee) was accidentally killed on the set by a loaded gun. The filmmakers were able to digitally sample what they'd captured of Lee's performance and piece together enough footage to make the movie releasable. Indeed, it is probably more fascinating for that post-production story than for the tale on the screen. The Crow is appropriately cloaked in ominous expressionistic shadows, oozing urban dread and occult menace from every dank concrete crack, but it really adds up to a simple and perfunctory tale of ritual revenge. Guided by a portentous crow (standing in for Poe's raven), Lee plays a deceased rock musician who returns from the grave to systematically torture and kill the outlandishly violent gang of hoodlums who murdered him and his fiancée the year before. The film is worth watching for its compelling visuals and genuinely nightmarish, otherworldly ambience. --Jim Emerson
R.I.P. Brandon Lee This is such a great movie. It has the look of Batman and Batman Returns, and has the feel of all the gothic literature/films that have been seen. Brandon Lee's (sadly) final performance is a treat: he is the one and only "Eric Draven", and all the others are just copycats of him. Pacing and direction of this film is compelling, while the wicked art direction stands out. Action sequences are a must-see, and the script is purely well-written. ***** out of *****.
A great DVD!!! A real collector's item!!! This is one of my all time favorite DVD's and I was so fortunate to find it available on Amazon at an amazing price. It is now safely in my collection where I will watch it over and over again.
The Crow - A triumph in comic adaptations Director Alex Proyas' American film debut and Brandon Lee's final performance before his untimely death The Crow sours on black wings straight out of the darkest portions of the imagination. A dark, visually luscious and captivating tale The Crow (Based on the graphic novel and comics by James O'Barr) truly is a sight to behold. Proyas demonstrates his artistic abilities in creating films with incredibly dark and eye popping set designs which he'd later use to create a perfect Film Noir atmosphere for his vastly underrated masterpiece Dark City (1998). It is a story of live, death and most certainly revenge.
Eric Draven, a rock guitarist and his fiancée are brutally murdered on October 30th, and a year later Eric rises from the grave under the guidance of a mystic crow which follows him, or leads the way, helping him on his quest for vengeance. Using make-up and articles of clothing leftover from his days as a heavy metal band he soon enters the city, a new man so to speak, his look being one that helped inspire The Joker in The Dark Knight.
One by one he takes down the four gang members who murdered him, leaving behind the outline of a crow wherever it was he they were killed, his methods often brutal and without remorse, or the slightest sign of pity, because why should those who killed him receive less than the worst he can offer? Eventually his vendetta leads him to the criminals' deranged boss and his possibly even more psychotic half-sister. The two begin face off towards the end, when Draven crashes a little baddie get together as the boss was preparing to cause some mayhem, because nothing brings more of a smile to his face then a little chaos and anarchy. Once his entire group is taken down by the black clad Draven, he flees determined to kill the reborn individual leading to the film's last confrontation.
Brandon Lee gives an amazing performance, which only makes his loss during this film all the sadder. This film proves that he could have surpassed his father (Bruce Lee), because The Crow proves Brandon is the better actor, and it is a shame that will never see where this film would've taken him if he were alive today.
Alex Proyas as stated before proves he is one of the most unique and talented filmmakers in the business, though his style may not suit mainstream or the average Joe's likes it's still something to behold, because the only other director I've seen close to Proyas' level of craftsmanship when it comes to this style of art is the more universally recognized Tim Burton. The movie is short, at around ninety minutes, but all it is too me is short, sweet and to the point and couldn't be better without dragging on.
I give The Crow 5 out of five stars for outstanding visuals, story and for the sensational performance by Brandon Lee.
Great movie This was a really good movie. As always, the product from Amazon was excellent
THE BEST CROW EVER There was the Crow comic book, and there is this movie. the orignal comic and this movie are by far the best versions of The Crow.
after this movie were several movie and comic sequils, a tv series that remade the story, and a comic series that did the same thing.
NONE of these were in any way interesting.
this IS the BEST version of the Crow. just as the orignal comic is the best of the comics. the rest is garbage.
there have been other actors cast in the roll and one even playing the same charture of Eric Draven.
frankly I think that is a diservice to the memory of Brandon Lee to recast his role and have someone else do it.
lee is the ONLY actor who does it well.
and it is not only lee who plays his part so well. there is Michael Wincott who is excelent as the villen, Top Doller, he steals all his sceans.
the fact is becaus of lee's tragic death, on the set of this very movie, some sceans were shot with a stunt double. and yet Lee is still very much a large part in the movie with several sceans.
this movie is about the dead coming back to life. and that is very much punchuated by having Lee brought back to life in this movie.
so this movie is the only one that is need for a collention.
the rest are not worth the price of admission.
the story is of Eric Draven who is killed along with his girl friend. some time later Draven is back to take revenge against the muggers who killed him. he faces Top Doller in a final battle and gains peace in the end.
this movie is about reserection, revenge, atonment, and redemption.
again with the movie having lee it is the theme of the dead returning.
one of my favorite sceans is when one of the muggers is about to hurt Draven's girl friend and he quotes from some book about the Devil fearing good, and the mugger only mocks that. he mocks the power of good. but then Draven straps him to his own car with a bomb. and the mugger then sees the 'awful power' of goodness. I rather like that.
this is one of the best movies ever made. defitly a great 'superhero' movie.
and again. the best version of the Crow story Ive ever seen.
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